Waterproof wireless communications and methods for water-based apparatus

ABSTRACT

A waterproof apparatus including a waterproof enclosure including electronic circuitry, a solar panel and a keypad. The electronic circuitry is configured to communicate data wirelessly when pressure is applied to the keypad. The waterproof apparatus may be mounted to watersport equipment, such as a surfboard, kiteboard, kayak, wind surfer jet ski, paddle board, or a wakeboard.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 62/133,357 filed on Mar. 14, 2015, the disclosure of which arehereby incorporated in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Watersports are becoming more popular and commonplace. Both experiencedand non-experienced adults and children are participating inwatersports, including surfboarding, paddle boarding, jet skiing,kayaking, wake boarding, wind surfing, kitesurfing, and kiteboarding.

In many cases, there is a desire to carry and operate a mobile phonewhile engaged in certain watersports activity. In other cases,participants want to have their mobile phones in case of an emergency,especially since several watersports are conducted on the open oceanaway from land. To protect the mobile phone, waterproof casings havebeen developed. However, such casings are bulky, uncomfortable to wearwhile engaged in physical activity, and hard to operate in wet andunruly environments. In addition, mobile phones commonly containvaluable information that is tedious or even impossible to replace ifthe phone is lost or damaged in the water.

It is also important to ensure that any wireless device andcommunication method does not impact the operation of the water-basedequipment, such as the surfboard, by adding weight etc. to the board.Moreover, it is also important that the wireless communication be easilyaccessible by the participant.

Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that allowparticipants in watersports to easily, safely, and accuratelycommunicate wirelessly.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a waterproof enclosure including electronic circuitry, asolar panel, a keypad, and one or motion sensors is described, whereinthe electronic circuitry is configured to communicate data wirelessly inresponse to input from the one or more motion sensors.

In another aspect, a waterproof enclosure including electroniccircuitry, a solar panel and a keypad is described. The electroniccircuitry is configured to communicate data wirelessly when pressure isapplied to the keypad.

In yet another aspect, an apparatus for use in watersports in disclosedthat includes a waterproof apparatus mounted to a surface of watersportequipment, the waterproof apparatus including a waterproof enclosurehaving electronic circuitry, a solar panel and a keypad, wherein theelectronic circuitry is configured to communicate data wirelessly whenpressure is applied to the keypad. The watersport equipment includes asurfboard, kiteboard, kayak, wind surfer jet ski, paddle board, or awakeboard.

The electronic circuitry may be configured to communicate the data inthe form of one or more text messages when pressure is applied to thekeypad. The electronic circuitry may be configured to communicate thedata in the form of one or more text messages when pressure is appliedto the keypad. The electronic circuitry may be configured to communicatethe data to a social media website when pressure is applied to thekeypad.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description, isbetter understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.For the purpose of illustrating the implementations, there is shown inthe drawings example constructions of the implementations; however, theimplementations are not limited to the specific methods andinstrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including anenclosure top-front perspective view

FIG. 2 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including anenclosure top view.

FIG. 3 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including anenclosure cross sectional front view.

FIG. 4 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including anenclosure cross sectional side view.

FIG. 5 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including aenclosure mount right.

FIG. 6 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including a cornerpiece upper left.

FIG. 7 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including anapparatus top view.

FIG. 8 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment including anapparatus cross sectional front view.

FIG. 9 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment mounted in on asurfboard.

FIG. 10 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment mounted on asurfboard in another embodiment.

FIG. 11 shows a waterproof apparatus in an embodiment mounted on asurfboard in alternative embodiments.

FIG. 12 shows a communication system in an embodiment.

FIG. 13 shows an electronic circuitry block diagram in an embodiment.

FIG. 14 shows a sequence diagram for associating an apparatus with auser account in an embodiment.

FIG. 15 shows a screen shot of mobile web page: “Message Details Page.”

FIG. 16 shows a wire framing of mobile web application.

FIG. 17 shows a physical user interface of the waterproof apparatus inan embodiment.

FIG. 18 shows a wire framing the software user interface in anembodiment.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Each of the additional features and teachings disclosed below can beutilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachingsto provide a device, system, and/or method for a waterproof apparatus tobe mounted to or integrated with watersport equipment. Representativeexamples of the present invention, which examples utilize many of theseadditional features and teachings both separately and in combination,will now be described in further detail with reference to the attacheddrawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a personof skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects ofthe present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. Therefore, combinations of features and steps disclosed inthe following detail description may not be necessary to practice theinvention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely toparticularly describe representative examples of the present teachings.

Moreover, the various features of the representative examples and thedependent claims may be combined in ways that are not specifically andexplicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodimentsof the present teachings. In addition, it is expressly noted that allfeatures disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended tobe disclosed separately and independently from each other for thepurpose of original disclosure, as well as for the purpose ofrestricting the claimed subject matter independent of the compositionsof the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. It is alsoexpressly noted that all value ranges or indications of groups ofentities disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediateentity for the purpose of original disclosure, as well as for thepurpose of restricting the claimed subject matter.

Devices, methods, and systems are described for providing waterproofwireless communications. In one embodiment, the waterproof apparatus maybe wirelessly connected to the Internet, a private network, or any othernetwork capable of receiving a wireless signal. The waterproof apparatusmay also communicate over any mobile phone carrier, using Time DivisionMultiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)systems, third generation (3G) systems, Universal Mobile TelephoneSystem (UMTS) systems, Long Term Evolution systems (LTE), and othervariants. The waterproof apparatus may also communicate usingsatellite-based telephony.

Other data communication services may include the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.xx series of protocols,such as the IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n series of standard protocols and variants(also referred to as “WiFi”), the IEEE 802.16 series of standardprotocols and variants (also referred to as “WiMAX”), the IEEE 802.20series of standard protocols and variants.

In the following disclosure, a surfboard will be used as an example ofwatersport equipment that may configured with the waterproof apparatus.It is to be expressly understood that the waterproof apparatus may beconfigured and used in substantially the same way with a kiteboard,kayak, wind surfer jet ski, paddle board, wakeboard, and the like. Itshould also be noted that any reference to mobile phone, mobile devices,and smartphones are meant to include any device that may be used toconnect to a mobile carrier or data network to receive and/or transmitdata.

In some implementations, a server may be provided to communicate withthe waterproof apparatus. The server may be configured to receive andsend data to and from the waterproof apparatus. In some embodiments, asoftware application may be provided to communicate with the serverand/or the waterproof apparatus to communicate with social media, suchas Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like.

In one example, the waterproof apparatus includes electronic circuitrythat contains a microcontroller that executes code in the form ofcustomized software. The waterproof apparatus may include a shockresistant enclosure that contains the electronic circuitry. Thewaterproof apparatus may include a mounting structure that mounts theenclosure securely to the surfboard without the need of drilling holesor physically altering the equipment itself, including a surfboard. Themounting structure may provide anti-slip functionality similar to asurfboard traction pad. The mounting structure may also provide for thewaterproof apparatus to have gradually raised sides that increase inheight across the length of the waterproof apparatus. This means aperson may easily place a foot on the apparatus, or even walk across itwithout risking bumping a toe into the edge of the enclosure.

In some embodiments, the enclosure may include a lid that may be removedto insert or remove the electronic circuitry. The lid may include agasket made of a waterproof soft material so that the enclosure iswaterproof when the lid is attached.

It is noted that in some waterproof enclosures have the top surfacefunctioning as a lid, where a gasket around the edge of is usedwaterproof the enclosure. It has been found that when the lid is exposedto high pressure, it may slightly bend or deform, which impacts thegasket's ability to maintain the fully waterproof seal. Accordingly, insome embodiments, the enclosure is designed to be waterproof even whenthe top surface is exposed to pressure, like when a person steps on theenclosure with the foot. In some embodiments, the rather than using thetop surface as the lid, one of the sides of the enclosure may serve asthe lid. In this case, the lid may have a support bar that protrudesinto the enclosure, preventing the top surface from deforming near oraround the packing, when exposed to pressure.

The waterproof apparatus and associated method and systems have severaladvantages over the prior art. The waterproof apparatus provides a safe,convenient, and reliable way of communicating during watersports. Insome embodiments, the equipment may be tracked and recorded via themotion of the equipment, by using sensors such as gyroscope,accelerometer, compass and GPS.

In other embodiments, the waterproof apparatus enables a user to entertext by entering alphanumeric letters, using the keypad on theapparatus. In other embodiments, a user may select a text to send from alist of pre-configured text messages using the keypad on the apparatus.The apparatus may be advantageously powered by solar power or using anon-backlit low powered LCD display.

FIGS. 1-4 illustrates a waterproof enclosure 100 of a waterproofapparatus in an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the top-front perspective view,FIG. 2 shows the top view of the enclosure 100. FIG. 3 shows a crosssectional front view and FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional side view of theenclosure 100.

The enclosure top surface 101 may have a plurality of mounting brackets102 a and 102 b, where each bracket has a mounting hole 103 a and 103 b.The brackets may be made from acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS), polylactic acid (PLA), or the like.

The enclosure may have an opening 105 on the front side, allowinginsertion/removal of electronic circuitry that is hosted inside theenclosure. The lid 110 is attached or coupled to the enclosure 100 onthe front side, such that a fully waterproof seal is formed between thelid and the enclosure 100. The lid 110 may be attached to the front sideusing screws 113 a and 113 b (FIG. 2) that screw into lid brackets 104 aand 104 b. In an alternative embodiment, the lid may be fastened usinghinges on one side of the enclosure and a locking mechanism on the otherside.

The lid 110 may have a support bar 111 dimensioned so that it fitsexactly into opening 105. When the lid is closed (attached to enclosure100), the support bar fits into opening 105. Support bar may include arubber gasket 112, which provides the waterproof properties of theenclosure. The support bar may provide mechanical support to the topsurface 101, so that if a person steps on the enclosure near opening105, the support bar may prevent the top surface 101 to deform due tothe mechanical pressure. As explained above, a slight deformation of thematerial near the waterproof gasket, such as near entry 105, couldotherwise cause the enclosure to leak water.

A solar panel 120 and LCD panel 121 may be located inside, mounted to,integrated into, or coupled to the enclosure. In one embodiment,although solar panel 120 and LCD panel 121 are located under the topsurface 101, they are visible as the top surface of the enclosure may bemade of transparent plastic or other similar material. The material mayalso be waterproof.

FIG. 4 illustrates how the solar panel and LCD display are placed belowthe top surface. A waterproof membrane keypad 122 is attached with anadhesive glue to the top of surface 101. A keypad cable 124 goes througha small slit located under the keypad into the enclosure to connect withthe main circuit board 123.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a plurality of foam pads 114 made from EVA(ethylene-vinyl acetate) or similar material are attached on the topsurface to provide an anti-slip properties so that a person that stepson the enclosure with wet feet will not slip. Any material capable ofcreating an anti-slip surface may be used.

FIG. 5 illustrates the left mount 200 a. The bottom surface 206 a of themount is self-adhesive allowing the mount to attach to a surfboard. Theleft side of the enclosure may attached to this mount by screws thatpass through the mount holes 103 a on the enclosure 100, into thethreaded mounting holes 203 a on the mount 200 a. In a similar manner,the right side of the enclosure is attached the right mount 200 bsimilar to the left mount 200 a.

The mount platform 205 a forms a planar surface that the enclosure restson. The mount has a rising slope 204 a that is dressed with an anti-slipEVA foam carpet with a diamond shaped pattern to prevent a personwalking on it from slipping. The slope provides a smooth leveltransition so that a person walking across the surfboard, will not bumphis/her toes into the edge of the enclosure. Other patterns may be usedthat provide substantially the same level transition.

FIG. 6 illustrates upper-left corner piece 210 a that providessmooth-level transition and anti-slip properties substantially the sameas mount 204 a. Any number of corner pieces may be used. In oneembodiment, four corner pieces are used.

FIG. 7 illustrates the assembly of a waterproof apparatus 300,comprising the enclosure 100, the left and right mounts 200 a, 200 b andthe four corner pieces 210 a, 210 b, 211 a, 211 b. All these pieces,together with the electronics inside the enclosure, forms a waterproofapparatus. In one embodiment, the waterproof apparatus is designed toresemble an ordinary surfboard traction pad. It should be understoodthat the waterproof apparatus may include any of the enclosure 100, oneor more of the mounts 200 a, 200 b, one or more of the corner pieces,and the electronics, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, or anycombination of these components to for the waterproof apparatus.

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional front view of the enclosure 100,left mount 200 a and right mount 200 b, which are attached to asurfboard 301. The top surface of the surfboard 302 may be curved. Themounts are designed so that platforms 205 a and 205 b form a flatsurface that enclosure 100 can rest on in an embodiment. The bottom ofthe mounts 206 a and 206 b may be self-adhesive so that they can attachto the surfboard. The mounts may be dressed with an EVA foam anti-slipcarpet 204 a and 204 b.

FIG. 9 illustrates placement of the apparatus 300 on the surfboard 301in an embodiment. The placement provides for easy interaction when thesurfer 303 is laying down on the surfboard in a paddling position.

FIG. 10 illustrates an alternate placement of the apparatus 300. In thiscase, the apparatus 300 may include an anti-slip carpet, such as EVAfoam, that substantially mimics the functionality of a conventionalsurfboard traction pad. Accordingly, the apparatus 300 with theanti-slip carpet may replace a conventional surfboard traction pad.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the waterproofapparatus. In this embodiment, the mounts 200 a and 200 b as well ascorner pieces 210 a, 210 b, 211 a, 211 b are not included. Instead, amounting box 305 is built into the surfboard. The enclosure is attachedto this mounting box using screws in similar way as before, however, inthis case the entire enclosure 100 is leveled with the top surface ofthe surfboard.

FIG. 12 illustrates a communication system in an embodiment. A pluralityof apparatuses 300 and a plurality of mobile phones 310 are allwirelessly connected to a server 330 via the Internet 320. The server330 facilitates communication between the different devices as well associal networking functionality with Facebook, Twitter, etc.

FIG. 13 illustrates a block diagram of the electronic circuitry in anembodiment. A microcontroller 140 may be coupled to a LCD display 121, akeypad 122, a GPS module 141, a GSM radio module 142, agyroscope/accelerometer/compass module 143, and a motion activated powerswitch 144.

The motion activated power switch 14 may be coupled to a solar powercharging circuit 145. The solar power charging unit 145 may be connectedto a solar panel 120 and a battery 146.

The motion activated switch 141 supplies power to the microcontroller140, LCD screen 121, GPS module 141, GSM module 142 andgyroscope/accelerometer/compass module 142.

When exposed to sunlight, the solar panel 120 feeds electricity to thesolar charger circuit 145. The solar charger circuit distributes powerfrom the solar panel to charge battery 146 as well as feeding power tothe motion activated power switch 144. In case the solar panel does notproduce sufficient electricity to power the circuitry, the solar chargercircuit may drain power from the battery instead.

The motion activated power switch (switch) has two states: ‘On’ and‘Off’. In the ‘on’ state, the switch provides power to themicrocontroller and all other circuits that have their power supplyinput connected to the switch. The switch can enter the power on statesunder the following conditions:

If the switch receives a digital high input level via connection 150,the switch will remain ‘on’ until connection 150 goes low.

If the switch detects a motion, it will enter the ‘on’ state for 5seconds. After 5 seconds, it will remain on only if connection 144 ishigh. Otherwise, the switch will enter the ‘off’ state. The delay may beshorter or longer than 5 seconds

In one embodiment, when a motion is detected, the switch will enter the‘on’ state. This will cause the microcontroller to power on. Softwarerunning on the microcontroller in the form of code, firmware, or thelike will then set connection 150 to a digital high, preventing theswitch to return to the ‘off’ state, which would otherwise happen if nomotion is detected. The switch will remain ‘on’ until the software setsconnection 150 to low.

The microcontroller may transmit signals to LCD display via serial dataconnection 151, allowing software running on the microcontroller todisplay content on the LCD display. The microcontroller is connected tothe keypad 122 via connection 152, allowing the microcontroller toreceive user input via key presses.

The GSM module 142 provides wireless connectivity, allowing themicrocontroller to send and receive data via UART connection 153.

A Gyroscope/Accelerometer/Compass circuit 143 transmits data from thegyroscope, accelerometer and compass to the microcontroller, so that itcan be processed by the software in the microcontroller. Communicationbetween 143 and 140 is done via a I2C serial connection or similarconnection.

GPS Receiver 141 sends GPS data to the microcontroller via a UARTconnection, so that it can be processed by the software in themicrocontroller.

A current sensor (not shown) may measure the net current flowing into orout from the battery. The current sensor may send current readings tothe microcontroller via an 12C connection. The output of the battery mayalso be fed to an analog input pin on the microcontroller, allowing themicrocontroller to measure the exact voltage of the battery, in order todetermine the battery charge level.

The electronic circuitry may be designed to consume very low power inorder to operate from solar power alone, without dependency of anexternal battery charger. In order to preserve power, the GPS, GSM andGyroscope circuits may only be powered up on a per need basis. Forexample, the apparatus may send out its GPS position at regularinterval. In that case, the GPS and GSM circuits may be powered upimmediately prior to the transmission, and shut down as soon as GPS datahas been obtained and transmitted via GSM. The frequency of suchautomatic transmissions may be regulated based on current battery leveland current supply current from the solar panel so that in case of lowbattery or low levels of sunlight. The time interval betweentransmissions may be increased.

In one embodiment, the LCD screen and the microcontroller may be keptpowered on during normal operation. To conserve power in suchsituations, the LCD display is using a bright paper-like display thatdoes not require any back light, and is very readable even in brightsunlight. In one embodiment, the microcontroller is a Moteino Megamanufactured by LowerPowerLabs. It is based on the ATMega family ofmicroprocessors, and is specifically designed for lower powerconsumption. The embedded software is developed in C++, and iscompatible with the Arduino platform (www.Arduino.cc).

FIG. 17 illustrates a user interface (“UI”) of the apparatus. Itcomprises an LCD display and a keypad providing navigational keys Up,Down, Left, Right, OK, and Back. In one embodiment, the back key alsoserves as power off key when held pressed for a certain duration. Theconcept of the UI is to let the user navigate through a menu system toselect appropriate actions.

In some embodiments, the systems and methods may include a mobileapplication that may be configured to operate with social networks andmedia. Users may engage with the social network by using either thewaterproof apparatus, a mobile phone, or an ordinary desktop browser.One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that a desktop browserapplication may operate in substantially the same way as a mobile phoneapplication described below. In one embodiment, a user of the apparatusmay needs to be a user of the social network via a smartphone or othersimilar mobile device. The reason is that since the apparatus has a verylimited user interface with no QWERTY keyboard, some user accountconfigurations can only be done via a smartphone or similar device. Userconfigurations may be downloaded to the user's apparatus at the nextsynchronization opportunity.

FIG. 16 illustrates a wireframe of the web pages that are available viaa smartphone.

The Home Screen (401) serves as the landing page when a user navigatesto the web address. The home screen contains a navigation menu toprovide access to other screens. If user is not logged in, the user willbe re-directed to the login/registration screen (400)

The Login/Registration Screen (400) lets the user register or loginusing one or more social network authentications, such as Twitter.

The Post Message Screen (402) lets the user post messages to his/hermessage board. The user can compose messages either by typing them byhand, or optionally, select a message from a menu of pre-configuredphrases. The user can also add own custom phrases on this screen. Thoseadded phrases may also be automatically downloaded to the user'swaterproof apparatus.

The Message Board Screen 403 shows a list of messages. A filter menu atthe top of the screen allows the user to apply a filter of whichmessages to view. For example, one may filter to show only messages sentby a given user, or messages sent within a certain geographic location.Clicking on a message in the list may take the user to the MessageDetails Screen 404

Message Detail Screen 404 shows details of a specific message. Thisscreen may be described in more detail further below and illustrated inFIG. 15.

The Gear Screen 405 shows a list of apparatuses that have beenassociated with the user's account. It also facilitates entering apasscode used when associating the apparatus to a user account. Theprocess of associating an apparatus with a specific user account isdescribed further below. On this screen, the user can also enter anickname for each apparatus. The nickname is intended to help identifythe particular surfboard the apparatus is attached to and will show upin the details screen 404 for each message sent from the givenapparatus.

My Account Screen 406 allows user update account settings such as screenname, email, and to link a social media account, such as Twitter andFacebook. The Settings Screen 407 allows the user to configure settingssuch as whether the apparatus should be able to send out messagesautomatically, or whether a GPS position should be included with themessage.

The Private Messaging Screen 408 is a menu screen that allows users toselect actions regarding private messaging. The private messagingfeature allows users to send private messages to friends. Messaging maybe done from one apparatus to another or between an apparatus and asmartphone.

The Friends Screen 409 allows the user to view friends, invite newfriends and accept invitations to become friends with user users. TheSend Screen 410 allows the user to select a recipient from a list ofexisting friends and compose and send a message to this person.

The Inbox Screen 411 allows the user to view a list of received privatemessages. The Help Screen 412 provides the user with instructions how touse the invention.

New users may need to create a user account with the social networkusing their smartphone in some cases. In order to operate the apparatus,it must first be logged in to a specific user account. One way is to letthe user enter the username and password using the UI on the apparatus.In some cases the UI may not have a full QWERTY keyboard, and thus, thelogin process is done with the help of a smartphone.

FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram illustrating the login procedure. The sameperson “Person A”, must have access to both the apparatus and asmartphone. Note. It is assumed that the user has already registeredwith the social network. This may include a simple log in with Twittercredentials. In this example, the social network is integrated withTwitter. The Twitter authentication process is well described onTwitter's own website at www.twitter.com and is incorporated herein. Itis to be expressly understood that any website may be used to replacetwitter and such website may not need to have a social networkingcomponent. For example the website may be able to send email from thewaterproof apparatus or instant messages.

As shown in FIG. 14, the steps may be as follows.

Step 1: Login Request. From the smartphone's web browser, user submits alogin request (Here it is assumed the user already has registered anaccount).

Step 2: Login Confirmation: Upon login confirmation, the user will betaken to a web page where he/she can enter an apparatus passcode.

Step 3: Request Passcode. The user powers on the apparatus for the firsttime. Since the waterproof apparatus is not logged in, it will connectto the server to request a login passcode. In the request, the apparatusprovides a device ID, which uniquely identifies the device. The servergenerates a random passcode, and saves the passcode/device ID pair ofvalues in a passcode table.

Step 4: Response with Passcode. When the apparatus receives thepasscode, it displays it on the LCD display.

Step 5: Submit passcode. The user reads the passcode on the waterproofapparatus, and enter this passcode on the smart phone and submits thisto the server.

Step 6: Passcode OK. When the server receives the passcode and finds adevice Id with matching passcode in the passcode table, the server mayassociate the looked up device Id to the logged in user that submittedthe passcode. The waterproof apparatus is now logged in

Step 7: The user can optionally submit nickname for the apparatus. Thepurpose of the nickname is the help identify the specific surfboard orsports equipment the apparatus is attached to.

Step 8: The user hits a button on the apparatus, which will request async to the server. The apparatus provides its unique device Id in therequest.

Step 9: The server returns sync data that corresponds to the user thatis now associated with the apparatus. Data includes user profileinformation such as username, a history of sent/received messages forthe given user. From this point, the apparatus is considered logged into a specific user account.

One feature described herein is the ability to post messages to amessage board by using the waterproof apparatus. Since the waterproofapparatus is typically operated in harsh conditions, with waves thatkeep jerking the surfboard around, water and bright sunlight, the way ofsending messages has been specifically designed to facilitate ease ofuse in these types of operating conditions.

Instead of typing messages letter by letter, the user may use a menunavigation system to select from an existing list of pre-defined phrasesthat are commonly used in language relating to the performed activity,in this case surfing. Examples of phrases are:

“I'm currently paddling out to catch some waves”,

“I just rode a sick barrel, woohoo!!!”,

“Can I stay out in the water for another hour, pleease?”,

“SOS!!! I have problems getting back to shore. See link for my GPScoordinates”.

In addition to the pre-defined phrases, the user can also create customphrases using his/her smart phone. These phrases will then be downloadedto apparatus that are linked to the given user. To add a custom phrase,the user must logon onto the social network via a smartphone browser,and then click on a button called “Add Custom Phrase”. After clickingthat button, a dialog asks the user to enter a phrase that is 120character or less. The user then clicks OK, and the phrase has beenadded.

In addition, to posting messages manually, messages may also be postedautomatically. For example, by using information from the GPS andGyroscope, the apparatus may estimate that the user just entered thewaves, and automatically send a message like “I'm currently paddling outto catch some waves”.

When a message is sent out from the apparatus, it contains meta data inaddition to the composed text. For example, the device Id of theapparatus and the GPS position.

When the server receives a message sent from an apparatus, it performsthe following steps. Step 1: Parse the device Id from the message, andmap it to a user Id; Step 2: Parse the GPS coordinates and map it toclosest geographically located “surf spot”; Step 3: Make an API call tothe website called magicseewead.com providing the ID of the surf spot,to obtain a surf and weather report for the given surf spot. Magic SeaWeed is a 3^(rd) party provider, that provides surf and weatherinformation for a large number of “surf spots”, throughout the world.

Step 4: Add the message to a message board for the specific user Id.Step 5: Connect to the Twitter API and send a Tweet that contains themessage as well as a link pointing back to a page on the SN, wherefurther details about the message may be viewed.

FIG. 15 illustrates the Message Details Screen (also shown as part ofFIG. 16, reference 404), that is displayed when a user clicks theabovementioned link within the Twitter message. This page is publiclyavailable to any user of a smartphone, even for users that are notregistered with the social media. The user that sent the message may bereferred to as the “sender” and the user that reads the message as the“reader”.

As shown in FIG. 15, 501 is a photo of the sender. 502 is the screenname of the sender. 503 is the sent message, plus a time/date stamp. 504shows the “nickname” that the sender has given the apparatus torepresent the equipment it is attached to. Additionally, 505 shows alocation on a map representing the GPS position of the apparatus whenthe message was sent; 506 shows the current surf and weather conditionas of the time when the web page is loaded, and 507 shows the surf andweather conditions as of the time when the message was sent. In 508, anadvertisement is shown. The sender may choose which advertisement shouldbe displayed here. The sender may log on the website with his/her phoneand select a sponsor from a drop down list. An advertisement from theselected sponsor may then be featured on web pages with messages fromthe given sender.

FIG. 17 illustrates the physical user interface on the apparatus. Itcomprises an LCD screen and a set of key intended for menu navigation.The keys are: Up, down, left, right, OK (select), Back and Power On/Off.

FIG. 18 illustrates a wire frame diagram of the different screens thatcan be displayed on the apparatus.

When the device powers up, it first checks if the device is activated(logged in), by reading a boolean flag from persistent memory thatindicates the last known activation state. If the flag is set, we go tothe “Home Screen”, otherwise to the “Welcome Screen”. The variousscreens are described below.

Welcome Screen 600

This screen is shown when the device powers up, if the device is notactivated. Pressing the OK button here takes the user to the “EnterActivation Code” screen.

Enter Activation Code Screen 601

Just before entering this screen, the device may obtain an activationcode from the server. This code is then displayed on the screen.Optionally, the code may also be shown in form of a QR code. When theuser clicks OK (to indicate that the activation code has been entered tothe mobile/web client), the device makes a request to the server toverify if the device has been activated. If so, the user may move to the“Activation Success”.

Activation Success Screen 602

This simply informs the user that the activation was successful.Clicking OK takes the user to the home screen.

Home Screen 614

This screen provides a navigation menu to the following screens: TweetGroup, Inbox, GPS, Help and Settings.

Tweet (Select Group) Screen 603

This screen lets the user select phrase group. Upon selection, the usergets to the Tweet (Select Message) Screen. In order to find a suitablephrase quickly, phrases have been organized into groups, where eachgroup contains a multitude of phrases. So, the user selects a group onscreen 603, and when then be taken to screen 604, where he/she canselect a phrase from the selected group.

Tweet (Select Phrase) Screen 604

This screen shows all available phrases within the selected phrasegroup.

Confirm Tweet 605

This screen shows the selected phrase and offers the options to eithersend it or edit it. If the user click “send” the message will be sent tothe server, and the user will be taken back to the home screen.

If the user clicks “edit”, the user will be taken to the “Edit Tweet”screen.

Edit Tweet Screen 606

This screen shows the text message plus a keyboard on the screen. Theuser may use the cursor buttons to highlight keys on the keyboard, toinsert selected character into the message. The user may also choose toinsert a new phrase which takes the user through the group and phraseselection screens to add additional phrases to the message. Clicking“done” will take the user back to the “Confirm Tweet” screen.

Inbox Screen 607

This screen shows a list of twitter messages that have been sent to theusers Twitter account as direct tweets. Selecting an item in the listtakes us to the “Direct Message” screen.

Direct Message Screen 608

This screen shows a specific direct message that was selected in theinbox screen. Clicking reply will take the user to the Tweet GroupSelect screen where the user can follow the normal procedure of creatinga tweet with the difference that the user handle from the sender of thedirect message is inserted into the tweet automatically.

GPS Screen 609

Shows current data from the GPS and the compass and offers the option toturn on/off the GPS

Help Screen 610

Provides information on how to use the device.

Settings Screen 611

Allows the user to change settings e.g. whether the device is allowed tosend out tweets automatically. Here the user can also go to the “MobileNetworks” screen.

Mobile Networks Screen 612

This screen lets the user edit cellular network parameters such asAccess Point Name. In general, users should not need to edit theseparameters.

Edit Text Input Screen 613

This screen has a text input field and also displays a keyboard. Theuser uses the cursor to highlight keys on the keyboard, and enter text.This screen may be used to edit parameters from the Mobile NetworksScreen

In one embodiment, the waterproof may include comprises several sensorsincluding a GPS, gyroscope, a compass and an accelerometer. Data fromthese sensors are analyzed by the microprocessor to generate what I call“motion events”. For example, at the beginning of a surf session, thesurfer needs to paddle through the break zone, i.e. the zone where thewaves breaks. Each wave will cause the surfboard to make a sudden jerkmovement that will repeat periodically as more waves rolls in. Detectionof such a periodic pattern, together with GPS speed measurement thatindicates that the board is on average moving at paddling speed, willgenerate a “Paddling Out” event. The first “Paddling Out” event thathappens since the device was powered up will trigger the “Start of SurfSession” event, which will trigger the transmission of a text messageindicating that the user is heading out for a surf session. If sensorsindicate lack of movement for a certain time, it will generate the “Endof Surf Session” event, which will trigger the transmission of a textmessage indicating that the surf session has ended.

In another embodiment, another event may be a “Wipe Out” event. This istriggered during a surf session when the surf board is flipped upsidedown, right after a sudden acceleration (based on data from gyroscopeand accelerometer). This will trigger a text message, indicating thatthe user fell of the board while attempting to catch a wave.

The waterproof apparatus, alone and in combination with the disclosedsoftware application and servers has several advantages. Text messagesand other data may be sent from the watersport equipment. In oneembodiment, the waterproof apparatus may be mounted to other types ofwatersports equipment, floating devices, as well as non-aquatic sportsequipment, such as snowboards, motor vehicles and human poweredvehicles. The waterproof enclosure may be mounted directly with orwithout the mounting structure. In some embodiments, the waterproofapparatus may include a water sensor that detects exposure to water,which allows the software to perform actions such as sending a messagewhen water is detected. In some embodiments, the motion activated powerswitch may be replaced by a push button that allows the circuit beturned on/off using normal push button operation.

In one embodiment, the motion activated power switch may be programmedto have a different power on duration after motion detection. It canalso be programmed to have different sensitivities to motions and alsoprogrammed so that it can only be re-activated after a certain delay toprevent the switch to turning on more often than desired.

In one embodiment, the waterproof apparatus may connect to peripheraldevices such as action sports cameras. The waterproof apparatus may alsoinclude a Bluetooth module, enabling connectivity to Bluetoothperipheral devices such as smartwatches, video cameras or medicaldevices such as continuous glucose meters. In another embodiment, themicrocontroller may receive a video a stream from a peripheral deviceconnected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The stream is then transmitted to aserver via the cellular network. This can be used, for example, toprovide live video streaming directly from a surfboard.

In one embodiment, in the login sequence where the passcode is displayedon the apparatus, a QR code is also displayed on the LCD screen. Whenthe user scans the QR code, he/she will be directed to a web page wherethe user can authenticate his/her SN credentials. Since the URL containsthe passcode as a GET parameter, the server can associate the givenapparatus with the logged in user, and hence log in the apparatus.

In one embodiment, the apparatus may operate in a mode called“competition mode”. This mode can be used by surfers participating in asurfing competition. In this mode, the apparatus may constantly streamsensor data e.g. GPS position, acceleration and velocity. Thisinformation may be followed by the audience by using a smartphone. Theinformation may also be displayed on large TV screens so that theaudience can view detailed information about the surfers that arecurrently out in the water. The present invention or any part(s) orfunction(s) thereof, may be implemented using hardware, software, or acombination thereof, and may be implemented in one or more computersystems or other processing systems. A computer system for performingthe operations of the present invention and capable of carrying out thefunctionality described herein can include one or more processorsconnected to a communications infrastructure (e.g., a communicationsbus, a cross-over bar, or a network). Various software embodiments aredescribed in terms of such an exemplary computer system. After readingthis description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in therelevant art(s) how to implement the invention using other computersystems and/or architectures.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention has been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiments disclosed.Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent topractitioners skilled in this art. Similarly, any process stepsdescribed might be interchangeable with other steps in order to achievethe same result. The embodiment was chosen and described in order tobest explain the principles of the invention and its best mode practicalapplication, thereby to enable others skilled in the art to understandthe invention for various embodiments and with various modifications asare suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It isintended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claimsappended hereto and their equivalents. Reference to an element in thesingular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly sostated, but rather means “one or more.” Moreover, no element, component,nor method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated tothe public regardless of whether the element, component, or method stepis explicitly recited in the following claims. No claim element hereinis to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, sixthparagraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase“means for.

Furthermore, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to thescope of the present invention in any way. It is also to be understoodthat the steps and processes recited in the claims need not be performedin the order presented.

Although exemplary implementations may refer to utilizing aspects of thepresently disclosed subject matter in the context of one or morestand-alone computer systems, the subject matter is not so limited, butrather may be implemented in connection with any computing environment,such as a network or distributed computing environment. Still further,aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter may be implemented inor across a plurality of processing chips or devices, and storage maysimilarly be effected across a plurality of devices and/or virtualmachines. Such devices might include personal computers, networkservers, and handheld devices, for example.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A waterproof apparatus, comprising: a waterproofenclosure including electronic circuitry, a solar panel and a keypad,wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to communicate datawirelessly when pressure is applied to the keypad.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising anti-slip material.
 3. The apparatus of claim1 further comprising a LCD display.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, whereinthe electronic circuitry includes a microcontroller for displaying thedata on the LCD display.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theelectronic circuitry is configured to communicate the data to a socialmedia website when pressure is applied to the keypad.
 6. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured tocommunicate the data in the form of one or more text messages whenpressure is applied to the keypad.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe keypad is configured with one or more preset messages.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the waterproof apparatus includes one of aGPS module, a GSM radio module, a gyroscope/accelerometer/compassmodule, and a motion activated power switch.
 9. An apparatus for use inwatersports, comprising: a waterproof apparatus mounted to a surface ofwatersport equipment, the waterproof apparatus including a waterproofenclosure having electronic circuitry, a solar panel and a keypad,wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to communicate datawirelessly when pressure is applied to the keypad.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein the watersport equipment includes one of a surfboard,kiteboard, kayak, wind surfer jet ski, paddle board, and a wakeboard.11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a LCD display.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11, wherein the electronic circuitry includes amicrocontroller for displaying the data on the LCD display.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured tocommunicate the data to a social media website when pressure is appliedto the keypad.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electroniccircuitry is configured to communicate the data in the form of one ormore text messages when pressure is applied to the keypad.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the keypad is configured with one or morepreset messages.
 16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the waterproofapparatus includes one of a GPS module, a GSM radio module, agyroscope/accelerometer/compass module, and a motion activated powerswitch.
 17. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising anti-slipmaterial.
 18. A waterproof apparatus, comprising: a waterproof enclosureincluding electronic circuitry, a solar panel, a keypad, and one ormotion sensors, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured tocommunicate data wirelessly in response to input from the one or moremotion sensors.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the electroniccircuitry is configured to communicate the data in the form of one ormore text messages when pressure is applied to the keypad.
 20. Theapparatus of claim 18, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured tocommunicate the data to a social media website when pressure is appliedto the keypad.